{"id":3644,"date":"2017-06-25T03:40:27","date_gmt":"2017-06-24T19:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thegallivantpost.com\/?p=3644"},"modified":"2017-06-25T03:45:50","modified_gmt":"2017-06-24T19:45:50","slug":"entering-the-storybook-village-of-saint-cirq-lapopie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thegallivantpost.com\/entering-the-storybook-village-of-saint-cirq-lapopie\/","title":{"rendered":"Entering the Storybook Village of Saint-Cirq Lapopie"},"content":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s like a storybook village, lifted right out from medieval fables. Perched on a cliff above the River Lot, clusters of old-fashioned houses made from stone or wood with flat-tiled roofs lined labyrinthine cobbled alleys, surrounding the cliff with a few fortresses resting at its crown.<\/p>\n
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The ancient Saint-Cirq Lapopie is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, and it\u2019s not difficult to see why. Walking through the quaint village is like entering a time portal to the past, where terraced gardens bloom with flowers, cracks and creepers add character to its buildings and a warm and friendly atmosphere fills the village.<\/p>\n
Dating to as far back as the 10th<\/sup> century, the picturesque village of St Cirq in the Occitanie region\u00a0belies a tumultuous past. Towards the end of the Middle Ages saw the village warring with religious fanatics and English invaders.\u00a0 Between the 14th<\/sup> and 15th<\/sup> century, the hundred years war caused the village to land in the hands of various powers, and in the 16th<\/sup> century, it was at the forefront of the French religious wars between the Roman Catholics and the Protestant Huguenots. The ravages of these conflicts left their marks, adding various characteristics to the village.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Today, the Saint-Cirq-Lapopie charms with its art galleries, homely restaurants and lush greenery. Modernity is almost non-existent here, evidenced only by tourists armed with cell phones and DSLR cameras. To maintain the old-world feel of the village, electricity cables and telephone wires are buried under eaves and cobbles, while television antennae are hidden in lofts. Here, you can\u2019t find any signs of billboards, neon lights or satellite dishes. Parking lots are carefully planned such that vehicles can be diverted to areas that won\u2019t clash with the aesthetics of the village.<\/p>\n